Merry Christmas from the bad blogger!

So maybe I am not the world's best blogger--my last post was in November. I will try to be better in the coming year!
I am currently taking a week off from sewing, and had hoped, in this week to:

1) completely revamp my website
2) install a new shopping cart
3) figure out how to use a new pressure foot on my sewing machine
4) cut new, custom bias tape for each different fabric
5) and catch up on sack orders that are due after the break

Oh, and Christmas.
Needless to say, I think this was a bit ambitious. My website is coming along, but my hosting platform is upgrading everyone to a new server and it makes sense to wait until after this happens before I install the shopping cart. Grrrr.......

Whadda think of my new logo though (and name change)?:


One of my machines had been acting up, so I took it in during the break to get it tuned up. The repair man called a few hours later, told me "its trash" and to come pick it up, un-tuned. So I have ordered a new serger to compliment my new Bernina I got not so long ago. Merry Christmas to me!

I received my best present ever today: I went to the grocery store early this morning to get my Christmas meal supplies. Without the kids. I got one bottle of wine, mainly for the name. As the woman was checking me out, she rang in the bottle of wine and looked at me expectingly. I just stared back at her. She then said"uhhhh, you need to give me your ID."
I said: "Really, are you joking?"
"No, honey, you look really young!"
"Hee,hee! Here you go!"

She made my day. Of course on the way out, I thought how many 20 yos come shopping for a whole Christmas feast at 8:30AM on saturday and only get one bottle of wine thinking they are real slick, but who knows.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Out with the old, in with the new...

The next year will bring some changes for Ceewee Designs. Specifically, I will be retiring some prints that I have had in my studio for some time. I am right now liquidating my stock and hope to have some clearance items from these fabrics soon. I hope to have space on my studio's shelves by late January in anticipation of the arrival of some fresh, new prints.

I have been scouring manufacturers, distributors, and fabric stores in search of a great array of flannel fabrics that will appeal to a wide variety of people. My search has paid off and I am really excited with what I have ordered! The new prints should start arriving after Christmas. I can't wait! (I really need to get out from behind my sewing machine more often)

Stay tuned for announcements of more changes...

Holiday Schedule

So you want a sleep sack, toddler pillow, or blankie for a gift for Christmas? Then here are the official cut-off dates for orders:

Ceewee sleep sacks: 12/8
Ceewee toddler pillows and blankies: 12/18
Studio clearance sale items: 12/19

Additionally, I will be taking a vacation around Christmas so Ceewee Designs Studio will be closed from 12/20 until 12/27. Orders will be taken during that time, but delivery dates will reflect this closing. I need a break from sewing and management to enjoy the holidays.

A final word: I have finally caught up on all my outstanding orders--for the most part--so I will be sewing some more ready made sleep sacks in the coming 2 weeks. I will post the items as they are ready on studio clearance page. What is available on 12/1 will be with my at the St. Matthew's Santa Workshop show here in Charlotte--along with a few things I am saving just for the show. Santa will be there, Boy Scouts selling trees, food, etc. Fun, fun! My items will be on sale that day. The next day (12/2) I will post what is left on the studio clearance page (on clearance, of course), and everything else will be 25% off for 6 days until 12/8. Which is also the last day to order for Christmas. Nice how that worked out! :)
Happy holidays!

OK, OK! Funky Monkey is back. Again.

I am sure Moda has made a mint off of sock monkey fabric by now. Last fall I bought a few yards of some sock monkeys on a beige background as a test. I blinked, and it was sold. I went back to my supplier, but they were all out. I was sad, but I moved on. Then this summer, Moda came out with a whole new line of sock monkey fabric--yeah! I ordered TONS of funky monkey on a banana yellow background. I blinked, and it was sold. I tried to get more again, but again it was gone.

HOWEVER: they did have the some of the same funky monkey on pink, and on blue fabric. I just got it in! It is so cute. I know why they sell out so quickly. There is actually a whole line of fabric with these crazy monkeys--playing jacks, riding a pogp stick, a 'portrait shot'. This pattern is my favorite, though, for sleep sacks.

A word or warning though--I got my supply in this morning and the blue is already half gone. If you like it, order quick!

Stock Up Sale

Ceewee Designs is having a stock up sale now through the month of October at www.ceeweedesigns.com. Receive 30% off all sleep sacks, toddler pillows, and blankies.

Honestly, I was going to wait to have this sale in November as a way of offering customers discounts for holiday gifts. But, I am doing a few shows the end of November/beginning of December and will be quite busy before these shows making sure I have enough ready-made stock on hand. I thought an earlier sale may benefit everyone!

I still plan on having another smaller sale before the holidays, perhaps on some gift basket ideas I am thinking about. Stay tuned.....

New fabric...

Over the past week, 3 seperate customers have asked for some "hipper" fabric. I take that as a sign. Unfortunately, most flannel for children is designed for babies--bears, bottles, and blocks. So I am stepping outside of my flannel world and used this as an excuse to go trolling through the aisles of my favorite fabric store Mary Jos in Gastonia (if you live with a 2 hour radius, you have to go--it is amazing!). As a result of my spree, I now have 4 wonderful and fun new prints in flat cotton.

This still sticks to my premise that all sleep sacks should be made of natural fibers, but allows my to offer some funky new prints like the one on the left. This one I have here on the left I love--it is called Carnival. The other 3, Paw Prints, Frog Chow, and Black & White, can be found on my website at www.ceeweedesigns.com/fabrics.html.

This is a test run, so please let me know what you think of them. I only bought a limited stock of each to see how they go over with you all. So, order early if you like one. My 3 year old is being quite persistent that he get a new pillowcase cover made out of Frog Chow--you know how toddlers can be when they see something they like!

Welcome to my blog! Hopefully over time this forum will allow me to showcase products, new fabrics, and the ramblings of a mom of 2 boys ages 3 and 4. My house is normally hectic and I find myself saying things I never dreamed of, like "please don't put your head so far into the toliet when you flush."

Sometimes I think the only reason I started this business was so I could have my own studio that "only mommy is allowed to use." It provides a nice relaxing place for me to unwind, sew, and store my ever expanding collection of fabric. It is funny how the more things I sew, the more the fabric seems to multiply.....and multiply.....and multiply.